Nier continues from the fifth ending of the first Drakengard game and requires no knowledge of the series to understand. Deviating quite significantly from the main series, it is set in a parallel world recovering from some post apocalyptic event and has been for some time, one assumes, because the land is green and filled with life. Most of what is left of human civilization struggles with day to day life. All of humanity's past achievements have either been lost or forgotten. Languages have drifted and changed for the last couple thousand years, to the point where they have morphed into something completely new. As a reference to this aspect of the world, the vocal heavy soundtrack which was composed by Keiichi Okabe, who also did the score for Drakengard 3, is sung completely in gibberish. Out of 43 tracks only 9 do not have any vocal component to them. The music is best described as unique and has become one of my favorite video game scores.
Three soundtracks were subsequently released, each containing cover art
depicting one of the three grimoires: Weiss, Noir, and Rubrum.
The games that preceded Nier are dark, villainous, and down right revolting at times. Nier however embraces grim themes of self interest and misconception that are mirrored in its world and people. Everyone seeks to further their own goals at the expense of someone else. Everyone deceives, manipulates, and is so staunch to their beliefs that they never recognize the magnitude of their actions or face the moral implications. This is true not only for the people that surround Nier, but for Nier himself as well.
The story that unfolds is not a black and white tale of good and evil, and few of the people do what they do with malicious intent. It is a series of heartbreaking tales of misfortune and unsavory predicaments. The player is purposefully kept oblivious to most of this during the first play-through. You only ever receive information that the protagonist and his friends are there to witness. New Game+ adds new content in the form of scenes and back-story that was not present prior, as well as subtitles for characters that spoke in foreign languages. With this new information comes the revelation that things were not initially what they seemed; some good people are darker than you thought and some enemies were not so devious. The second play also reveals a deeper hidden tragedy. A dense chunk of lore and back story is also only mentioned within a Japan exclusive companion book entitled "Grimoire Nier (The Nier Art/Story Book)" which contains several short stories, interviews, explanations, and details as to what happened to the characters after the game ended.
The Drakengard series has never shied away from adult or taboo themes and party members have traditionally been a dysfunctional lot. Nier is no exception, with an inner circle of friends that include a snooty grimoire, a foul mouthed hermaphrodite and a homosexual skeleton with a heart of gold. With this odd-ball group Nier attempts to find a cure for a terminal illness called the "black scrawl" that has afflicted his daughter Yonah. Working as a sellsword to make a living, you must also tend to Yonah from time to time. Checking the mail and starting a garden are optional.
At some point you will be forced to solve riddles via text adventure/visual novel.
In battle enemies can be fought using Nier's blades or with magic. It is simplistic hack and slash with no strategy involved. Companions can also be given orders during combat, but their AI is good enough that they are capable of doing what needs to be done without having to be told. Boss battles are made up of the same hack and slash tactics used on the smaller opponents. The only difference is each Boss's unique move sets and attacks that will require a minimal amount of strategy in order to avoid damage. There will also be stages or phases during a fight where a boss is left vulnerable. At which point one or more circles will appear with a countdown. Enough damage must be dealt to destroy the circles before the clock runs out. Otherwise they disappear and the process will need to be repeated. It is also worth noting that the final part of the game can be a bit tricky due to a limit on healing potions, a lack of save points, and several mini-boss battles as well as a multi-stage final boss.
Towns are connected by several small, but open areas that you will travel between frequently. One area regularly spawns a mini-boss and another will allow you to mount and ride boars at some point. Roaming enemies defeated in these areas occasionally drop items and pages containing "words of power" which allow access to new magic. Weapons can be purchased from towns and then improved at the junk heap provided you have the money and materials to do so. A bit of grinding away at the same enemies in the same locations will become necessary for both the rarer materials and the quantities needed.
Nier is like the people it depicts - not perfect by any means. Graphics-wise it is a notch above what one would expect from the PlayStation 2, but a game can still be good without looking pretty. Combat isn't deep, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. What Nier does well is craft a uniquely bizarre and twisted world filled with equally strange characters that both have deep and compelling histories. It's just a shame you have to dig for it; having either played the Drakengard series or purchased the Nier Art/Story Book, because very little is revealed in-game. Darker sides to human nature are unashamedly laid bare and superb heart-wrenching tales are hidden away, accessible only if you are willing to put in the effort to discover them. To get the most out of Nier, you have to be able to look past its grisly surface, forgive its imperfections, and accept it for what it is. First posted to videogamegeek.com
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